Seybold



Feb. 28, 1956 R SEYBQLD 2,736,223

ELECTRIC BELLOW-OPERATED MUSIC INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 2, 1951 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent ELECTRIC BELLOW-OIERATED MUSIC INSTRUMENT RenSeybold, Strasbourg, France Application August 2, 1951, Serial No.239,888

13 Claims. (Cl. Sli- 1.10)

The present invention relates to musical instruments in general, and inparticular to an accordion, bandonion or the like, which instruments areequipped with a bellows.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a musicalinstrument having a bellows which comprises an electrical contact deviceoperating a resistance or condenser corresponding with a predeterminedtone. It is another object of the present invention to provide amusicalinstrument having a bellows in which the tonemodifying device isdisposed on the rear side of the keyboard engage coupling membersthrough openings provided n the instrument holding board and act oncontrol contact members being connected, for instance, with resistancesthat act on the electrical oscillations and detine their frequency; theentire structure, namely the contact members as well as the resistancesand condensers, if any, are preferably mounted in small fiatdismountable casings which permit of a ready mounting and dismantling ifsuch structure is added to a standard accordion, the casing may besealed against dust, an important feature for the proper operation andreliability of the structure, particularly of the contact members; thewalls may be also protected by means of a conductive coat or a metalsheath, forming an electric and possibly magnetic protective sheathwhich consequently cuts out any objectionable disturbances during theoperation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a musicalinstrument having a bellows, in which the frequency generator is eitherdisposed inside of the bellows or in a separate casing electricallyconnected with the bellows instrument; any suitable electrical circuitmay be in the instrument, although preferably the electrical circuitdisclosed in applicants copending patent application Serial No. 276,122filed March 12, 1952, may be used.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a musicalinstrument having a bellows in which the electronically produced tone ischanged by operation of the bellows.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a'musicalinstrument having a bellows in which the musical instrument may beplayed not only through electrical control but also in cooperation withthe Vibrating reeds, which instrument for this purpose is equipped witha member controlling the electrical intensity and adjusting means, alever, a key, a rocking handle or the like, on either of the two partsof the frame of the instrument, the member being operated preferably bythe players thumb.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anelectrical music instrument having a bellows which, in addition to theintensity adjusting means and the volume controlling means, alsoincludes a sound generator, a multi-stage amplifier and a loud speaker,the latter elements being disposed inside the bellows merely by a singlecable connected with the source of electrical energy.

It is also an additional object of the present invention to provide amusical instrument having a bellows which Mice is designed not only foroperation through electric means but also through the agency of reeds,in which only the intensity means, the volume controls, and theelectrical contact means for stops are disposed in the actualinstrument, while the remaining elements are disposed in a specialseparate casing.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings, apreferred embodiment wherein certain cornponent parts are housed insidespecial casing. In said drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of my improved bellowinstrument.

Fig. 2 illustrates the transportation casing for the instrument,including the amplifier and the loud speaker.

Fig. 3 illustrates a further casing adapted to contain variousauxiliaries and control means.

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the keyboard of an improved accordion.

Fig. 1 illustrates a particular bellows instrument the main parts ofwhich are constituted in the usual manner by a frame part 1 carrying thekeys for the higher notes, a frame part 2 carrying the keyboard for thelower notes and bellows 3. The keys 23, 24 corresponding to the higheroctaves are shown in the drawing on the side facing the observer. To therear surface of the carrier board 22, turned away from the observer, areprovided casings and 5, housing the sound control devices that are thusprotected against dust.

The adjustment of the sound intensity or volume in correspondence withthe expansion of the bellows may be ensured through various mechanicalmeans. In the example illustrated, there is provided a two-arm lever 7adapted to rock round a pivot 6. The intensity-adjusting member R issecured to the frame of the keyboard 1 for high notes, while aconnecting rod 8 connects the end of the lever 7 with the keyboard forthe low notes to which said rod 8 is secured. If bellows are drawn out,the above mentioned adjusting member from the high notes is actuated bythe lever 7 and the rod 9 in a predetermined direction. Upon subsequentcompression of the bellows, the lever 7 will be moved in oppositedirection and accordingly the intensity adjusting member also moved inthe opposite direction.

When adjusting the sound intensity in the case of a combined playingunder electrical and under reed control, it is possible to provide onthe rear surface of the frame of the low note keyboard 2 a control lever(not shown) that may be actuated e. g. by the players thumb.

The keys 16 controlling the stops may be carried on the board on theside facing the keyboard but also, as in the case of Fig. 3, inside aspecial casing 10, 11. The latter is illustrated in side view andassumes, when closed, the shape of a four-sided polygon. It issubdivided by a downwardly sloping partition, whereby, when folding thepart i1 over the part 10, it is possible to obtain the shape appearingin dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. This folding is provided round thetransverse hinge 12 connecting the stationary part It@ of the casingwith the cover 11. A handle i3 is provided for carrying the box. Thestationary part 10 may include at least part of the amplifier while thecover 11 may contain the oscillation generator 14 controlled by memberscarried inside the casings 4 and 5 through the agency of a connectingcable (not shown), The oscillator generator casing carries in theexample illustrated, the above mentioned stops controlled by the keys16.

The stationary part 16 of the casing contains a plurality of adjacentpedals 17b of which a selected pedal 17 serves the adjusting of theintensity of the sound. The pedals i7b playparts similar to those playedby the stops and define the tone.

The cross-section illustrated in Fig. 4 and passing through the boardthat serves for handling the instrument shows the means controllingsound volume. In the bottom surface 22 of said board are mounted in theusual manner the keys 23 and 24. The movable springs 25 of the controlcontact pieces are carried side by side by the bar-26. These springs 25carry pusher rods 27 engaging freely corresponding openings in thesprings and bearing through their free ends against recesses provided inthe keys 23 and This yielding arrangement of the pusher rods Z7 providesfor an easy and frictionless movement of the entire movable mechanism.The springs 25 providing for contact serve also as compression springsfor the keys.

The contact blades 2S lead to predetermined contact elements e. g.resistances 29 that are located directly to the rear so that noconnecting cable is required. Similarly, the variable Vresistances thatare required for adjusting the sound, are mounted inside the casngs and5 and are not inserted in the connecting means (not shown) which,according to the invention, feeds directly the grid of the oscillatortube. All these delicate parts are protected by a dustproof cover 30provided in its turn with a metal cover (not shown). Similarly there areprovided protecting covers that are not illustrated, for the partsenclosing the control members. The contact bars 26 and the cover 30 formtogether with the spring contacts 25, the contact blades 28, theresistances 29 and their supports a unitary block contained inside thecasings 4 and 5 of Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1. In an electrical musical instrument having two frame portions and abellows movably connecting the said frame portions, a keyboard having aplurality of keys, a frequency generator unit, including a grid, aresistance unit coordinated to each of the said keys, and contact meansoperated by the said keys for electrically connecting the saidcorresponding resistance unit, an amplifying unit and a loudspeakerunit, means electrically connecting the said electrical units, and meansresponsive to the relative movement of the said frame parts forcontrolling the volume of the sound produced by the said instrument.

2. The instrument, as setforth in claim l, which includes means forcontrolling the said sound adjusting means, and in which the said meansfor adjusting the sound as well as the said control means are disposedon the back side of the said keyboard, and having a dustproof casingsecured to the said keyboard receiving the said rst and second mentionedmeans.

3. The instrument, as set forth in claim 1, in which a contact spring iscoordinated to each key of the said keyv board, the said contact springoperating simultaneously as compression spring for the said key.

4. The instrument, as set forth in claim 1, which includes in addition areed instrument.

5. The instrument, as set forth in claim 4, which includes means forshifting the tone production by electronic means to one by reed means.

6. The instrument, as set forth in claim 4, which in- 4 cludes means forsimultaneous tone production by electronic means as well as by reedmeans.

7. The instrument, as set forth in claim 1, in which the intensityadjusting means is disposed in the said bellows.

8. The instrument, as set forth in claim l, in which the said volumecontrol means comprises a double armed lever pivotally securedintermediate its ends to one of the said frame parts and disposed in thesaid bellows, a potentiometer having a rotating arm disposed in the saidone of the said frame parts, a first rod connecting one end of the saidlever to the said rotating arm, and a second rod connecting the otherend of the said lever to the other of the said frame parts, so that uponrelative movement of the said frame parts the said potentiometer isoperated in predetermined manner through instantaneous operation of thesaid lever.

9. The instrument, as set forth in claim 1, in which one portion of theelectrical apparatus is disposed in a separate casing adapted for thetransportation of the accordion.

10. The instrument, as set forth in claim 1, which includes means forselective adjustment of the tone in accordance with a predeterminedmusical instrument and pedals disposed in a separate casing foroperation of the said means.

11. The instrument, as set forth in claim 10, in which the said casingincludes also keys for the free combination of diierent tones.

12. The instrument, as set forth in claim 10, in which a second pedal isdisposed in the said casing adapted for operation of an intensitycontrol means.

13. The instrument, as set forth in claim l, in which the said elementsother that those disposed adjacent the said bellows, are arranged in ablock-shaped casing, the said casing being divided into two partsthrough a plane disposed perpendicular to the side faces thereof, thesaid plane forming an oblique angle to the base of the said casing, thesaid two parts being hinged together on the top face thereof, so thatupon opening the said casing the open faces of both parts are disposedin an inclined plane extending rearwardly from the base of the saidcasing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,008,722 Kunz Nov. 14, 1911 1,882,960 Sater Oct. 18, 1932 1,956,350Hammond Apr. 24, 1934 2,226,900 Dickerson Dec. 31, 1940 2,233,948 KockMar. 4, 1941 2,250,065 Koehl July 22, 1941 2,262,179 Hammond Nov. 11,1941 2,288,463 Kislingbury June 30, 1942 2,356,368 Zaccagnino Aug. 22,1944 2,439,551 Teikowski Apr. 13, 1948 2,487,420 Brown Nov. 8, 19492,575,142 Sorkin Nov. 13, 1951 2,577,288 Terlinde Dec. 4, 195]

